


Drought

by LadyGoodwin



Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 08:34:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3522608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyGoodwin/pseuds/LadyGoodwin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kayla is smack dab in the middle of a "personal" drought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drought

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know. I've been sitting on this forever. It's goofy.

 

** Drought **

 

“Steady!” Tom spat at her.She had been snapping at him all night.In fact, she had been snappy for a couple of weeks now, and not just with him.He shuddered to think how she would have eviscerated the delivery guy if he hadn’t stepped in the other day.It wasn’t that poor guys fault the order was wrong.

Kayla glared at him, then slumped in defeat.“I’m sorry,” she sighed.Tom watched her warily, as she walked over to where he was sitting, and all but flinched as she placed a kiss on top of his head.“I don’t know why I’m being such a bitch.”

He grunted at her in response, picked up a magazine off the coffee table, and absently flipped through it.Trudging back to the window, Kayla stood wrapped in her own arms, watching the neighborhood.

“You probably need to get laid,” Tom grumbled, to himself.

Laughing bitterly, she said, “That’s probably true.I haven’t been on a date in months, let alone anything else.”

“Then for God’s sake, woman, go get laid!”

“If it were that easy, don’t you think I would have, by now?”

“It _is_ that easy!”

“Sure, if I were you!” she snapped, turning to face him.

“No!”He pointed at her.“You're a woman, all you have to do is ask!Men are easy!”He dropped the magazine he was holding back on the table.

“So what, I just walk up to the next dude that strolls by and say, ‘Hey you DTF?’”

He looked perplexed, and asked, “DTF?” 

“Down to fuck,” she explained, matter-of-factly.

Tom barked out laughter, “I’d never heard that before.”

“Obviously,” she deadpanned.

“In any case, yes.It's just that easy.You’re a beautiful woman, it probably wouldn’t take you more that 15 minutes to find an able and willing body.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“Why not?If I were a woman, I totally would,” he grinned.

“Male privilege everyone.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”He was clearly offended, thinking himself a fine feminist.  

“You’ve never had to seriously worry about being attacked or worse.” 

“I beg your pardon!”

“OK, Mr. 6’2”, made of muscle, trained in several fighting styles?Or are you gonna loan me your bodyguards _?_ ”  

Tom snapped his mouth shut, having no retort for that, and Kayla returned to looking back out of the window.  

After several traffic light changes, she had been watching in the distance, and one owner trying to recapture their escaped, ecstatically happy dog, Kayla felt Tom’s hands on her shoulders turning her around.Frowning up at him, she sighed.He wrapped his arms around, and pulled her into one of his bear hugs.She stood there stiffly, unwilling to relent her petulance to his kindness.Tom was patient and held her, until she gave in and hugged him back.“There she is.” 

“Sorry,” she whined again apologizing, into his chest.

“I know.”Withdrawing from the hug, he let his hands feather down her arms, taking her hand in his.“Come on,” and began to lead her away from the window.

“Where are we going?I don’t have on shoes.”

“You don’t need them.We’re going to your bedroom, where we are going to...remedy this.”

Kayla stopped dead in her tracks, pulling her hand from his, “What?No!”

“Why not?”

“Are you crazy?”

“No…”

“We can’t sleep together!”

“Again, why not?”

“BECAUSE WE’RE FRIENDS!”She yelled, hoping the volume might help him understand better.

“That’s why we should.”

Kayla stood in shocked silence.He could not be serious, right now.

“You’re right, going out and picking up some random bloke is a bad idea, but you snapping at me and God knows who else, has got to stop.I miss _my friend._ This seems like the best solution.”

Kayla sputtered a good few times before she could speak.“Sleeping with you would ruin everything.We couldn’t go back to being friends after that.”

“Why not?”

“Jesus!Is that the only question you know?”

“I don’t understand, it’s just sex.”

“There is nothing ‘just’ about it.”

“Are you telling me, you have never had sex, just to have sex.No emotional attachment whatsoever.”

“No!”

“Really?” He asked, surprised, his normally baritone voice hitched up a couple of steps.

Kayla blinked at him, and shook her head. 

“Have you ever tried?”Tom crossed his arms over his chest, clearly amused.

“Well…no.”

“Wh-,” he stopped himself.“Because?”

“I don’t know that I can.”

“Honey, sex and love can be two separate things,” he kindly tried to explain to her, desperately hoping not to sound condescending. 

“Said every man who ever cheated.”

He huffed, walked over and took her hands.“You are an intelligent and thoughtful woman, I have no doubt you can make the distinction between the two.”He watched her resolve begin to waver.

“What if I can’t and then things get weird between us.”

“We have been friends for years.I think our friendship is strong enough to survive it.”

“Are you sure this isn’t just _you_ trying to get laid?”

“Decidedly, not,” he said affronted at the implication.

She looked at him long and hard.Tom reached up and cupped her cheek, “Do you think I would do anything that I thought would hurt you?”He brushed his thumb gently over her cheekbone.

“No,” she whispered.

“Do you think I’d be an inconsiderate lover?”He teased, a twinkle in his eye.

“No.”Kayla rolled her eyes.

Toms other hand cupped the other side of her face.“Do you think I couldn’t satisfy you?”He grinned.

“Of course not,” she sighed, wryly. 

He dropped his hands, and shoved them in his pockets, smiling at her.

“Just sex,” she stated.

“Just sex.”

“No emotions.”

“Not a one.”

“God I hope I don’t regret this.”

 

 

 

~Six Weeks Later~

 

Chris sat with a fidgety Tom, on his couch watching a Rugby match.Tom hadn’t been able to sit still since his night with Kayla.He kept playing it over and over in his mind and called her several times to make sure she was ok and had no regrets, since he'd made himself relatively scarce since then.Not especially on purpose, he had interviews and recordings to attend.In fact, he’d been gone for about three weeks after.He’d kept in touch, though, with calls and texts, not wanting her to feel like he’d used her and bailed.In point of fact, he'd been in contact with her more than he ever had.Her quick witted retorts would bring a smile to his face and could cheer up his day lickety split.

Now that he’d been back in London for a few days, they had several missed attempts at getting together.Fortunately, their Tuesday night veg fest was that night and he would get to see her.This would probably account for all the fidgeting if he had any conscious idea he was doing it.  

“Dude!” Chris snapped at him, “What is your problem today?”

“What?”

“You are way too jumpy.Haven’t you been running?”

“I have.I just have some things on my mind.”

Chris eyed him.

Tom placed his beer on the coffee table and rubbed his face with his hands, before looking at Chris.“I need to talk to someone.Can we keep this between us?”

Chris put his beer down, too.“Sure, man.What’s going on?”

Tom sat, words rolling around in his head, looking for the right ones, while his friend patiently waited.“I slept with someone.”

“OK.”

“We agreed it would be just physical, no emotional involvement.”

Chris moaned.“Aw no.Did she get clingy?”

“No.She seems fine...”Tom waited for Chris to put two and two together.  

A huge grin spread across his face, before he burst into laughter.“Oh man,” he finally said.“How’d that happen?”

“Fuck if I know, but I can’t get her off my mind, and I don’t know what to do.”

Chris sat back against the couch, still chuckling.“You obviously haven’t talked to her about it.”

Tom shook his head.

“You have to talk to her.Or,”

Tom looked up hopefully.

“You forget it and wait it out.”

Tom covered his face again, groaning.“Fuck!”

“I suggest you talk to her.You never know, maybe she feels the same and isn’t saying anything because of your…understanding.”

“You think?”

“I don’t know, do I know her?”

Tom nodded.

Chris waited for him to divulge the secret.“Come on man, who?I won’t say anything.”

Tom sighed, “Kayla.”

“Ohhhhh.” Chris nodded and Tom watched as he was clearly processing the new information.“Wow.How’d that even come about?”

“It was a mutual itch that needed scratching,” he said, failing to hide his moderate embarrassment.

“Hmmm.It could go either way with her.”

As if on cue, Tom’s phone dinged with a text alert.He picked it up and looked, “Speak of the devil.”

**Kayla:I have to cancel tonight.**

“Fuck. She’s canceling tonight.”

“Why?” Chris asked.

**Tom:That’s too bad.What’s up?**

**Kayla:Guess!**

“Guess?” he mumbled.Chris moved closer to watch the interaction.

**Tom:You’re moving to the Bahamas!Take me with you!**

Chris smiled.

**Kayla:No asshat.Tho that would be nice.Give up?**

**Tom:Yes.**

**Kayla:I HAVE A DATE!**

Tom froze and Chris watched him carefully.“Shit!”Tom spat.He put his phone down and sat back running his hands through his hair for the umpteenth time.Standing, he paced around the room, while Chris watched him, trying to hide his amusement.“Months!Months she hasn’t had a date and then, BAM!”He gesticulated wildly.“What do I do?”

“Either you tell her, or you wait and see if the guy turns out to be a miss.”

He swore again, “Well I can’t bloody well tell her via text, or even by phone!”

Chris shrugged.“Then you wait.”

Tom’s phone dinged again.

**Kayla:Hello?**

Tom raced to pick it up.

**Tom:Sorry.Chris is here.That’s remarkable.Where did you meet?**

**Kayla:On the train.We hit it off so he asked me out for tonight.**

**Tom:Well you’ll have to tell me all about it tomorrow.I’ll bring dinner.**

Tom looked to Chris for approval before he sent the text.Chris nodded, and he hit send.He all but held his breath as he waited for the reply.

**Kayla:It’s a date!**

“Is it?” Tom sulkily asked his phone.  

**Tom:Well, tell me all the basics, so I have some info to give the police if you go missing.**

**Kayla:You are NOT funny.But that’s a good idea.p/u 7:00p dinner at Mario’s.**

**Tom:You want me to call in case you need to escape?**

**Kayla: Sure!**

**Tom:Good luck. BEHAVE!**

**Kayla:;-)**

Tom paced around the room again before he stopped suddenly, looked to Chris, and grinned.“What are you doing tonight?”

 

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Chris grumbled, as they sat outside Mario’s in Chris’ rental, watching Kayla and her date through the window.

“I just wanted to get a look at the guy.” Tom craned his neck and bobbed his head around trying to see what was going on inside.“He seems shifty.”

“ ** _HE_** SEEMS SHIFTY?”

Tom ignored the insult.“Do you see how he’s looking at her?”

“Yeah.The same way you are.”

“Fuck you.”

“Juuuust keepin’ it real, as they say.”

Kayla’s date reached over the table and held her hand.  

“That’s it!”Tom said, pulling out his phone.He dialed her number and watched her answer.

“You are so pathetic,” Chris mumbled.

“Hey.Can I call you back later?”She asked.

“Yeah sure.Everything ok?”

“Yeah.I’m just in the middle of something.

“Is he dull?”

“No.”

“Is he a dick?”

“No!”

“He hasn’t tried anything has he?”

“Good bye.I’ll call you later,” she hung up the phone.

Tom sighed.“I guess we can go.Thanks, man.”

 

 

~The Next Night~

 

Tom and Kayla sat on the floor around her coffee table finishing up their dinner.“So, it went ok?”Tom asked.

“Yeah.It was fine.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

“If he asks, I think I’d go.Things were a little awkward, as first dates usually are.I’d give it another chance.”

Tom nodded, and stood with Kayla as they gathered the remnants of dinner and took them to the kitchen.“Kayla, I have something I need to tell you," he blurted.

She turned to see him with a worried and pained expression.“Ok.”

He paced back and forth in the kitchen, while she stood and watched him.When Kayla obviously couldn’t take it anymore she said, “Tom, you’re scaring me.Are you OK?Are you sick?”She asked wringing her hands.

He stopped and faced her surprised, “No!No honey, I’m fine.Everyone is fine.”He gathered her in his arms and hugged her.“I didn’t mean to scare you.I’m sorry.”

She heaved a sigh of relief.“Ok. Then whatever it is, should be better than a terminal illness,” she laughed, uncomfortably.

“Yes.Of course.”He ushered her by her arms over to a kitchen stool and sat her down and began pacing in front of her again, hands on his hips.He’d take a deep breath, stop, start to say something, shake his head and start pacing again.After the fourth time, he finally stopped and turned to her.“I broke our agreement.”

Kayla looked at him, confused.“What agreement?”

Tom was struck by her words, maybe she didn’t feel anything for him, after all.“The one where we agreed to not develop feelings for each other…after…”

Kayla sat silently for a second, “Oh,”she whispered.Standing, she walked slowly into the living room and began pacing just had Tom had been.He watched her walk back and forth, and her eyes zipping around, obviously weighing every outcome.Finally she went to the couch and dropped onto it with a sigh.Tom, moved into the room with her.“That’s…” she started and lost the words.

“I know.”He said softly.

Her face, plagued with doubt, watched him as he walked to stand in front of her and squat down, placing his hands on the side of her knees.

“I’m asking for too much…”He said sadly, as he dropped his head, leaning forward resting on her legs.“I’m sorry.”

Instinctively, she reached out and ran her fingers through his hair.He’d always loved it, and purred happily each time she did.This time was no different.Her hands eventually drifted around to his face, and she gently lifted him so he would meet her gaze.“I don’t think it’s too much,” she said softly, and uncertainly.

“What?”He said after a moment, not sure he heard her correctly.

“It’s not too much," she answered with a little more confidence.

A smile lit up his face.He reached out and pulled her in for a long kiss.When they withdrew, he stood, taking her with him.Pulling her close, wrapping an arm around her waist and one slipped to the back of her neck and drew her in for another kiss.The first kiss was more celebratory, this time it was needful and passionate.His tongue found its way into her mouth and sigh happily when it met hers.  

When the kiss ended this time, he grasped her hand and began to lead her to the bedroom.A few steps in she stopped him, and he turned looking expectantly at her, still not wanting to be more than a few inches away, he wrapped his hands around her waist, smiling.

“We can’t do this yet.”

He blinked, puzzled by the statement, “OK.Why?”He asked, removing one hand to stroke her cheek.

“Well, we haven’t even been out on a date.”The statement was sincere, her face guileless.

He laughed and kissed her heartily.“Oh, my girl.I’ll take you anywhere, _everywhere,_ anytime you want.”

She smiled, and he again, began gleefully, leading her to the bedroom.

“No, Tom.Wait,” she stopped him again.“We have to go back to square one.That night, never happened.We should do this right.”Kayla looked at him pleadingly.

Tom stood flabbergasted.This thought had never occurred to him.He figured they would dive in where they left off.But, if she wanted to wade in slowly, that was fine by him, just as long as she was his.

He nodded, smiling.“OK.”  

“Yeah?”

“Of course.”

She smiled, happily.

He took her in his arms again, resting his forehead on hers.  

“Kayla, would you have breakfast with me tomorrow?Then maybe catch a matinee after?In fact, why don’t we spend the day together?”

“I would love that.”

 

 

 


End file.
